Well I have the kits built and tested. I followed the instructions to the t.
The vertical works excellent. I had no issues with swr, although for 30m leaving both switches on 40m provided the best results. Reverse beacon results were respectable on all bands. I will probably increase the number of radials to 8 or even 16 for a little better performance.
The ununtenna, despite the increased amount of radiator, was a much more bulky system and didn’t seem to work as well. Swr was off the charts on some bands (except for 17m for some reason). I honestly not that happy with it, even though the kx3 could tune it. I tested it against the vertical using the rbn on 40 meters, and they were comparable.
Both kits were fun to build. I also have the EFHW tuner and I still have to comment on the antenna attachment system, which is a bolt nuts and a wingnut. I have found just following the instructions is unsatisfactory. The system loosens itself up and falls apart in the field. I now use loctite threadlocker blue on all qrpguys wire attachment points. Just use enough to lock the nuts, but not cover the threads where the wire contacts or the wingnut travels. This eliminates the issue and increases enjoyment.
As much as I like the Pacific antenna trap dipole kit, the qrpguys vertical covers 30m too and is lighter and more compact. I will probably give it 4 more radials as the size/weight 26 awg wire isn’t an issue and give it a chance on my next activation.
